Supreme Court to hear challenge over India poll body decisions

India’s Supreme Court has agreed to hear next week a petition questioning decisions taken by the Election Commission under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The petition was mentioned before a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant. Senior advocate Vikas Singh told the court that decisions of the multi-member commission should be unanimous or based on a majority, and raised questions about whether recent decisions met that requirement.

The development comes amid opposition protests over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Congress leaders have alleged irregularities in the revision process and criticised changes involving voter enrolment forms, additions and deletions from electoral rolls and centralised control of the database. Former Union Home Secretary R.K.

Singh has accused the chief election commissioner of violating the law. In an open letter, he urged opposition parties to boycott elections until the chief commissioner and other election commissioners resign. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge chaired a meeting of the party’s Working Committee on Tuesday to discuss its response.

Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel said protests against the revision process and Kumar would continue. Demonstrations have also been held in several states. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has accused the opposition of trying to derail the country’s progress.

Union Minister J.P. Nadda described the opposition as having a “toolkit mentality”. The Election Commission has faced further scrutiny over its internal functioning.

The Supreme Court’s decision to list the petition gives the dispute a judicial forum, although the source material does not indicate what conclusion the court may reach.